


In The Doghouse

by Kispexi2



Category: Firefly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-01-13
Updated: 2004-01-13
Packaged: 2017-10-09 02:15:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/81872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kispexi2/pseuds/Kispexi2





	In The Doghouse

Mal used to have a dog back on Shadow. Powerful ugly creature he was, with a massive head and heavy body.

He's sure where he came from but he kind of attached hisself to him. Followed him everywhere, grateful for any scrap of food or attention. Used to lie under his bed at night. Sometimes he was good to have around, but mostly he was just another thing on Mal's mind to worry about.

Cuz he was all kinds of stupid. He'd dig up crops Mal had just been planted and bring 'em back to him. Drop 'em at his feet and sit there, lookin' up at him, waggin' his tail. So pleased with hisself. Then when Mal yelled at him, his ears'd go back and his tail'd slide between his legs. But Mal could tell by his blank expression he had no idea why Mal was mad.

He'd kill chickens and eat the whole bird – beak, feet, feathers an' all. Then spend the night howling with indigestion. But he never did learn his lesson. Next chance he got, he'd be doin' it again. Damn near totally untrainable. Only way to keep him in check was to keep him fearful of a beatin'.

He was mean too. Bit a lot of folk. Mal should probably just have shot him. Except he was the best watchdog you could wish for. Fearless, too. An' he looked the part. With him at your side, even the nastiest son-of-a-bitch was gonna think twice before messin' with you.

* * * * *

Jayne can't eat his _go se_ protein mush. He ain't never found it very appetizin', but tonight it makes him heave. Fact that li'l Kaylee made it special for "the hero of Ariel" only makes it stick in his gullet all the more. She brought him a bottle of her engine-still firewater too, which, he guesses must mean Mal ain't told her about ... about what happened. _Yet_. The liquor burns as it goes down, but that feels good. An' Jayne means to drink down the whole bottle. Dull the pain some.

His gorram head hurts. Not enough he got beat up by the Feds; no, Mal gotta hit him in the face with a wrench too. He never saw _that_ comin'. He can read most people - hell, he can even read Mal when he's dealin' with anyone else. See the danger comin' off him long before they do. But between the two of them, Jayne never seems to get it right.

_Tamade_! Mal's harder to understand that a woman. Not that Jayne's suggestin' there's anythin' girlish about him. S'jus' one minute he's punchin' Simon to the floor and threatenin' to throw him out the airlock, an' the next he's beatin' on Jayne for tryin' to earn some hard cash by doin' a deal with the Feds. Hell, Jayne thought Mal might even give him a pat on the head for that. Wa'n't his fault they was a bunch of low-down dirty double-crossers.

Now he comes to think of it, Jayne don't think he'd have kept the money for himself even if he'd got it, although that was the notion to start with. What would he have done with it? Spent it all on whores an' liquor most like, an' ended up workin' for another _hundan_ like Marco.

No, he likes it here on Serenity. Got his own bunk and full run of the kitchen. Decent cut in the take too, and the occasional bit of trim. Cap'n who's _zhen de shi tian cai_ when it comes to plans. Good crew. Hell, they even got a Doc who can fix up gunshot and stab wounds real good. _Oh_. Yeah, well... He's still aboard, ain't he?

All Jayne's gotta do now is make things right with Mal. He ain't no good with words, although he reckons he must've said somethin' right for him to let him out the airlock. No, Jayne's more for showin'. He wonders if he should go shoot somethin' for Mal - always assumin' Mal ever lets him out of his bunk again.

* * * * *

"Jayne!" Mal's shout echoes down the walkway that leads to the crew's bunks.

The mercenary's head pops out from his doorway. He gives the Captain a wary, but hopeful look.

"Yeah, Mal?"

Mal suppresses a weary smile at Jayne's submission, but can't stop his satisfaction from showing briefly in his eyes. Jayne sees it and raises his eyebrows expectantly in response.

"Get up to the commons now," Mal tells him. "I'm dividin' up the take from the last deal. Don't want you thinkin' I ain't bein' fair."

Jayne is already bounding up the ladder. He's back in the gang! Everything will be all right. If Mal ain't yet forgiven him, at least he ain't gonna punish him no more.

"Wou'n't never think that," Jayne lies, hoping to ingratiate himself.

Mal stops and stares at him. "You had time to reflect on what I said?" he asks sternly, arms crossed high across his chest.

Jayne hangs his head and mumbles, "Yeah, Mal. Did it to you. Shou'n't've done it."

Mal shakes his head. "No. You shou'n't. Don't you ever cross me again, Jayne." He pauses as Jayne continues to stare at his boots. Then, more upbeat, "You had chicken lately?"

Jayne looks at him blankly. "No. Why?"

"Book's cooking chicken casserole for dinner." The corner of Mal's mouth lifts into a grin. "You ain't gonna wanna eat the feet, are you?"

"They got meat on 'em?" Jayne wonders aloud as he makes off down the walkway to the mess.

For a moment, Mal watches his loping, almost canine, gait. Then he shrugs and chuckles to himself, before following on behind.

"Yeah - totally untrainable."  



End file.
